Dominik is losing his sight! The treatment in the USA is the only hope!

Dominik was born in February 2023, and there was no indication of any vision problems. He received a perfect Apgar score of 10 and, after a few days, was discharged home with his mother.

When we took him for a routine ophthalmology check-up in Bytom three weeks later, the doctor was unable to examine the retina in his right eye and immediately referred us to a hospital in Katowice. The next day, tests confirmed our worst fears - complete retinal detachment in the right eye and partial detachment in the left. The doctors decided there was nothing they could do and suggested we seek further consultation in Poznań. From there, we were directed to the Children’s Health Center in Warsaw, where we were told that no treatment options were available. Instead, doctors suspected Norrie disease.

After receiving this diagnosis, we started searching for answers on our own. Online, we found information about similar cases and possible treatment options in the United States. From that moment, we were in a race against time to secure an appointment with Dr. Yoshihiro Yonekawa at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia (in the meantime, we took our two-month-old baby on a car journey to Germany, first to Leipzig and then to Essen, to verify the suspected diagnoses of Norrie disease and retinoblastoma—both were ruled out).

Once Dr. Yonekawa confirmed that Dominik qualified for treatment, we launched a fundraising campaign and began the expedited process of obtaining a medical visa for our little warrior. In just a month and a half after the initial diagnosis in Katowice, we had raised the necessary funds and gathered all the required documents to begin treatment in the U.S. - all thanks to the incredible kindness of people who opened their hearts to Dominik (we also received invaluable support from the U.S. consulate in Kraków, where our medical visas were granted on an emergency basis).

At the beginning of May, we flew to the U.S., where we spent nearly two months. During that time, Dominik underwent two complex surgeries that halted the progression of his disease. Shortly before the first operation, we received the results of genetic testing, which confirmed a rare condition — exudative vitreoretinopathy.

After returning to Poland, Dominik began intensive recovery, including vision therapy, physical and sensory therapy, sessions with a neurologopedist and an optometrist, as well as hippo therapy.

Due to the nature of his condition, he requires regular follow-ups approximately every six months, which, at this point, can only be done at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Dr. Yoshihiro Yonekawa is the only specialist who has been able to provide our son with effective ophthalmic care (last year, he performed another surgery on Dominik’s left eye to stop the overgrowth of retinal blood vessels and stabilize eye pressure).

Dominik’s courage and determination in his fight for vision are truly inspiring! Every day, we move forward, step by step, with your invaluable support - for which we are endlessly grateful.